Bad Porno

Driving home this evening, an unremarkable chart-bound 'banger' came on the radio. Apparently it's by some Italians calling themselves Porno (that'll boost the hit counter) and it's coming out on Data records. So will no doubt be crashing the top ten anytime soon.

What got me listening though was the sample they used. I was racking my brain the whole way home to try & figure out what it was until I twigged that it from was a superb 7" I have by Sly & Robbie - called 'Boops (Here to Go)' and released on 4th & Broadway records in 1987, when it hit the heights of #12 in the UK charts.

I don't know too much about the pair, so fortunately I have wikipedia to help out.

Apparently Lowell (Sly) Dunbar and bassist Robert (Robbie) Shakespeare are rumoured to have worked on almost 200,000 tracks !!!!

Christ.

They've a long and influential history in Jamaican reggae, but only had a brief flirtation with the UK charts around the period of this single. This record was produced by possibly the only man who could rival Sly & Robbie for prolificity (?) - Bill Laswell.

I always knew Bill Laswell as an ambient producer in the early 90s - with releases on labels such as Pete Namlook's Fax - but you can see from his discogs entry that he has been a busy chap these last 30 years. I've been aware of him more recently thanks to his productions as 'Material', under which he contributed superb tracks to both 'Disco (Not Disco)' compilations.

This is a hard track to describe - it's an electro-esque hip-hop track with Middle Eastern samples and a 'White Lines' style bassline. And one of the best whistling solos of all time. Suffice to say it's fuckin' awesome. Get downloadin'.



SLY & ROBBIE - BOOPS (HERE TO GO)

But if you thought that was good (and I guarantee you will), I always preferred the B-side - a slice of PURE FUNK with one of the best basslines going. You can tell why Dunbar named himself after Sly Stone. This is amazing, and is one of those things that sounds instantly familiar even if you've never heard it before. Maybe it's a cover? If you know please comment me up.



SLY & ROBBIE - DON'T STOP THE MUSIC


I've just caught some of the first episode of Celebrity Big Brother. I really don't want to watch... but come on. Michael Barrymore, Dennis Rodman, Jodie Marsh, Maggot (Goldie Lookin' Chain), George Galloway MP and Pete fuckin' Burns in a house together! Ha! And the woman from Baywatch (Traci Bingham?) seemed to be one of Rodman's no doubt many exes. He didn't seem to pleased to see her...

What a bunch of nutters.

Seeing Pete Burns reminded me of a great story I heard on Popbitch a while back (so it must be true!):

>> Pete Burns goes mad. Again <<
Glueing shoes to cars - not a good sign

Poor Pete Burns. The Dead Or Alive singer has been sectioned by the police for his own safety. The problems began when Pete was seen in Notting Hill trying to superglue one of his stiletto shoes to a parked car. A friend saw him and, thinking he'd been on a drink or drug binge, suggested he go home and sober up. Pete tried to go home, but he had forgotten where he lived, so broke into his neighbour's house. She came home a few hours later and heard singing and music coming from upstairs. Upon reaching the bathroom, she found Pete sitting in her bath in full drag, singing "You spin me round" in a trance-like state. Pete is currently being held in a maximum security "celebrity relaxation centre"...

Still bored? Check Best Foot Forward for the Jackson mix of m83. I had it on a couple of mixes (like Michael Mayer's Fabric mix) but never the full version. Awesome.